How’s this for freedom of speech on campus? A debate was shut down. That’s right -- a debate with both sides was shut down because a faculty member in “Women's Sexuality and Gender Studies” (and perhaps others) objected to my appearance. This is how the student newspaper at SUNY New Paltz covered it:

The story is not completely accurate or fair, since it relies on a smear job from the Southern Poverty Law Center, but if you would like to read it, click here. A hostile climate of hate against conservatives exists on this state-funded university campus. Yet I was accused of being the hater!

Jerry Kenney, the producer of our TV show, came up with this graphic about book-burners to describe the atmosphere at New Paltz:

I know conservatives get shouted down on college campuses, but in this case it was a debate format with a left-winger and me. They must have thought the left-winger, Jeff Cohen, couldn’t hold up his side of the debate. So they closed the whole thing down. I think this is unprecedented for a debate to be closed down. Actually, Jeff is a good debater. We always have a good show and the students love it.

Don’t bother with any calls or emails to the school. The school has reversed its position, saying they now want to immediately re-schedule the debate. Apparently, the idea of a taxpayer-supported campus suppressing freedom of speech doesn’t look so good to the outside world. Plus, they have to pay for the event they canceled. But I am still thinking about how to proceed. My schedule is full of other commitments and I am not so sure the university administration is prepared to ensure the safety and security of the event. I also need to know the complete truth about the source of the threats against me, and whether any violence was threatened or planned.

I am filing a Freedom of Information Law request for all documents and other material in the possession of the university relating to the cancellation of the debate. I intend to get to the bottom of this fiasco and report back to you about the climate of hate at New Paltz. Next week we are doing one of our Roku TV shows on this debacle.

This is an online snapshot of a newsletter created by the owner of asinews (America's Survival Inc., www.usasurvival.org, 20736 Owings, United States) and sent via GetResponse on 2016-04-01. Report abuse